


Cold Feet

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-19
Updated: 2013-08-19
Packaged: 2017-12-23 23:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/932357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been four months since Captain Levi lost his legs in the latest scouting mission outside the walls. Since then the missing limbs have been replaced with metal duplicates that he's still learning to control. Now the day arrives where he returns to duty, though not in the same way as before. It's also the day Eren learns what lucky soldier will be in charge of babysitting him and taking command if his Titan form goes rogue. (abandoned fic idea sorry)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Feet

**Author's Note:**

> A story that started as fluff and turned into plot. Inspired by pixiv illustration id 33248360.

It was morning. And with the sun’s rays seeping through the curtains and giving radiance to the room, for the first seconds of consciousness, that was the last thing he wanted to see.

The problem wasn’t that it was too early or that he, Eren Yeager, had never been much of a morning person (hell he wasn’t even much of a  _waking up_  person). No, the problem was, he didn’t want to get out of bed. Not with the company of Captain Levi sleeping so soundly in his arms.

There was nothing more he wanted than to stay curled up in the warmth of his Captain. The morning cold surrounding his face, he buried his nose in soft raven hair, arms encircling a small and chiseled chest, and legs hugging what remained of the man’s once proud pair. If only he could stay like this the whole day: ignore the world and trouble outside and focus only on the comfort of this bed. Even the cool sting and hard edge of the Captain’s metal prosthetics couldn’t drive him away. At least the skin above it was warm, soft, and supple and so nice to stroke his own thigh against.

If there  _was_  anything that could get him moving, however, it was the thought of a firm reprimand for tardiness. As lovely as it was sleeping with the man, being on the receiving end of one of his icy stares wasn’t the best way to start the day.

The youth sighed, his face falling into the warmth of Levi’s neck. If he had to get up, it might as well be in a way he liked. His hands on the man tightened and he pulled the slumbering form closer, pressing his chest flush against his back. Eren trailed a tired mouth all across what he could reach of the Captain’s neck. A kiss here, a touch there, from the tickle of the shaven hairline to the slight protrusion of bone at his nape baring itself before the edge of his shirt. All the while lowly humming and exhaling, taking in the Captain’s almost unnaturally homey scent.

A clean freak as he was, many would expect the smell of disinfectant and soap to linger on him. But it didn’t. Instead, with Eren’s nose pressed right against his skin as proof, the Captain smelled more like cream, like vanilla. A scent just as soft as his skin, just as sweet as his gaze now and then, and a rarity in this area of the country.

All of this attention didn’t go unnoticed. Within half a minute the small lump in his arms stirred, and Eren’s personal time with his Captain’s neck ended.

The old man groaned, that same little groan he always made at morning’s arrival; and he leered, the same little leer he always showed once awake.

He was still groggy from sleep, still half-conscious at best, and with eyes half-lidded, focus weak, and brow furrowed, it was all the invitation Eren needed. Wetting his lips, the young man took his chance. He rose and pressed against Levi’s parted lips, upsetting them just enough to goad them open a bit more.

Whether wide awake now or still edging there, the Captain didn’t refuse Eren’s forwardness. A sigh and shut of eyes was all the response he gave, letting Eren hover over him and press his head back into the pillow.

It was a simple kiss—a good morning type of intimate greeting—and the scowl he got after pulling away was to be expected. The hand that had touched at Eren’s cheek a second earlier now moved to cover Levi’s mouth as he muttered about morning breath.

Eren smiled, apologetic, before he gave the man another stare and leaned in for another peck on the lips. The Captain didn’t refuse him, and Eren could only smile at that, his fingers laced in the man’s hair.

"I would’ve expected you to grow out of this by now," again Levi wiped at his mouth. "But you’re still just a horny brat."

The horny remark left Eren a bit hurt and embarrassed, but he shook it off without much thought.

That was Eren’s cue to stop clinging and start rising. The Captain didn’t like wasting time. Eren moved off and dragged himself to the bed’s edge and sat there stretching. The room was much colder outside the safety of the covers but thankfully not so terrible to be unbearable. He’d faced worse during his training days, when you had to be outside and in formation as the sun rose, prim, polished, and punctual if you didn’t want to run an extra five miles.

"What time is it?" he heard the Captain mutter, the mattress under them giving a groan as he sat up and moved the sheets.

"Zero six zero four," Eren returned with a quick glance to the bedside clock.

“ _Ho_. You actually managed to wake up on time.”

Eren blinked, sneaking a glance at the man over his shoulder. Months after and still the lack of legs was an alien sight to see. Almost like a dream instead of reality, as if there was some hole in the mattress they tucked into. It was both strange and sad to think that Levi was lucky in a way, the cut made just above the knee. If it had been any higher it could have hit a major artery and the man sitting in bed would instead be sitting in a grave.

His stare lingered too long, and Levi took notice. Once he did, Eren quickly turned away and stood.

"You better not have left a mark," he warned with a slight bite, hand rubbing at the back of his neck.

Eren paused but let it go, a sheepish smile and laugh his plain return. Something about Levi’s speech and morning scowl seemed off. Given, he was used to the sarcasm and the glare, but not quite to this degree in the mornings.

Could there be a reason? Perhaps. If he had to hazard a guess, maybe— _maybe_ , the great Captain was nervous.

"Today’s the big day right?" Eren asked, smiling down as he offered the man clothes for the day.

Levi quipped his brow to him. “‘Big’ is an overstatement.” He took the clothes, setting them aside for now to remove his sleep shirt and boxers while Eren went to wash up. “I’m only returning from a long sick leave. It’s not like I’m becoming King.”

Eren glanced over, the water still running and face dripping wet.

So he was right.

He  _was_  nervous.

He could understand, though. Being removed from military activity for so long, returning with such severe injuries—it had to be a heavy hit not only to his pride but his own self-consciousness.

"What?" Levi caught him peeping again, his voice sharp when he snapped.

"Ah nothing!" Eren stuttered and splashed another handful of water onto his face.

The older man paused, staring a second or two longer before turning his attention back to his clothes. “You’re thinking unnecessary things again,” he said. “If you think I’m nervous or some shit you’re way off mark.”

His face in a towel, it took a moment for Eren to respond. Most of that time he spent mulling over whether or not to even try making a retort.

In the end he decided ‘yes,’ and he knew he was making a mistake for doing so. “Well. Maybe not nervous  _per se_  but—” and this was where he should have stopped “—maybe anxious. Subconsciously.”

The stare he received in return was incredulous, judging him both for what he said and for the very fact he  _said_  it. Eren faltered, face going simultaneously hot and cold. He busied himself fetching the Captain’s metal limbs from the desk, hoping Levi’s expression would soften after a second or two.

It didn’t. Levi was still scowling at him when he came back. Eren’s frame deflated, face falling as he clutched the prosthetic legs close to his chest.

"Sorry."

The older man sighed through his nose, his own body easing. Eren took that as his cue and knelt before him, placing the fake limbs onto the bed to prepare what remained of his Captain’s real ones.

Then, a rather unexpected sound drifted to his ear.

"…maybe."

It was luck he already had one leg on, otherwise he might have flinched and disturbed the whole process. Levi’s voice was low, said on the end of a breath, but Eren still heard it loud and clear. The boy blinked, his gaze flitting upward to Levi’s face, averted.

"Maybe?" Eren repeated.

The corner of his frown twitched and Levi’s brow furrowed a hair.

Eren smiled, reassuring as he reached for the other limb. “It’s all right to be anxious. I would be.”

Levi clicked his tongue. “Of course you would be. You’re no better than a mouse that shits itself every time someone no much as sneezes.”

"And you’re a grumpy old man who hides behind sarcasm and bad insults when he’s scared," Eren retaliated, his grin still in place and kind. "You’re coming back after suffering a serious injury. It’s natural to be apprehensive. I’d be worried if you weren’t." He didn’t need to mention all the other reasons and implications; those would only be salt in the wound. Besides, they were probably already at the forefront of his lover’s mind. His green eyes descended, back to the mechanics of the false legs.

A few more turns, a few more clicks, and—“There!” Eren said, the attachments complete.

"You got them on right?"

"Yes, sir."

Another glare. “Stop calling me ‘sir’ already.”

"Yes, sir."

Levi frowned deeper, not at all amused by Eren’s little joke. He tilted his head down, lifting his leg and giving an experimental kick. The operation was slow, sluggish, and rusty, but it moved. Slowly but surely, the metal limb swung forward.

"Try the other leg." Levi did as instructed, though he would have done it regardless. A swing of the leg until it stuck out straight, followed by a bend of the ankle both forward and back, and it seemed the machine was in proper working order, if incredibly shaky.

They were still experimental, a prototype model of what the makers hoped would give injured soldiers a chance at returning to a somewhat normal life. So of course there would be some kinks to work through. Levi had refused to be one of the few guinea pigs at first, but a little cajoling and he begrudgingly agreed. The things had proven at least a  _little_  useful so far.

Still, they were a cumbersome jumble of mechanics.

Levi turned up his dark gaze. The movement cheered Eren up more than it did the one wearing them, and the dumb grin on his face left Levi somewhat annoyed.

"You can stop grinning and help me with my pants now."

That worked well in jolting Eren out of his little daydream. Right. Eren took the trousers and guided Levi’s legs through each pant leg, leaving the man to take care of the rest.

"Should we do the walker or chair today?"

"Walker."

"Okay."

And Eren quickly went to retrieve said contraption, a device with wheels and brakes that Levi could lean on as he walked. Eren grabbed the Captain’s shoes and coat while he was at it. “Ready?”

The other nodded, his shirt done and shoes and pants on, and Eren held out his hands for Levi to take. Levi grabbed onto Eren’s forearms, and together they pulled him to his metallic feet. Though the legs offered greater mobility, they weren’t always reliable. Humanity’s strongest could barely stand without some support to keep him from careening and falling to one side. Walking without any sense of the ground was far easier said than done.

Levi wobbled, stumbled, but Eren was there to balance him. The boy had to bite back a smile and the sudden urge to kiss his head with Levi again in his arms. (What Levi said earlier flashed through his head and hit Eren hard in the gut. Maybe he was right.)

The years had done much to make their difference in height that much wider and their difference in skill that much smaller. A growth spurt earned Eren a few extra inches, while having Levi as a babysitter proved to be one of the best learning experiences a soldier could ask for.

In one arm he held that teacher, in the other he reached for the walker. Once he knew the man was secure he released him and let him finish the rest of the morning ritual on his own. He watched for a few seconds more, though, if just to be certain he had his balance under control. The last thing he wanted was for Levi to fall and hit his head against the stone floor or sink or any of the other hazards decorating the room.

In the meantime, once he settled his bothered heart, Eren set to dressing himself. Donning his military uniform and adjusting the straps around his body took longer than it did for Levi to finish in the washroom, and Eren pursed his lips to the mild embarrassment of making Levi wait.

"What time do you have to be there?" He hoped conversation would help fill the gap.

Levi glanced at the ceiling, his body bent in half leaning against the walker. “I have about an hour to kill.”

"Ah. Are you going to grab some breakfast then?"

"Are you?"

Eren had to think on that before shaking his head. “Probably not.”

"You have to be at your meeting that soon, huh?"

"Within twenty minutes I think."

The scene went silent, tense and expectant with Levi mulling over something. “If I see Hansi I’ll have the glasses freak bring you a roll and coffee.”

That surprised Eren as much as it pleased him. “That’s okay. I don’t want to trouble—”

"It won’t," Levi cut in, quick and deadpan. "Might even prove useful in some experiment for all anyone knows." It was a joke mixed with mild disdain, and thankfully Eren finished tying everything and pulling on his military jacket before any more of it could continue. He did give a short word of thanks for the Captain’s offer, however.

His face had softened up since he first woke up. It eased Eren’s mind, if only a little. Eased him of his worry over Levi at least. The rest of it came from a gradually rising tension over today’s meeting, something he hadn’t been paying much mind to until now at Levi’s casual mention.

With Levi out of commission, someone else needed to take up the job of keeping Eren’s Titan form in check. And that meeting was to inform him of the lucky soldier’s identity.

He was apprehensive, needless to say, wondering if it would be someone familiar or someone he hadn’t even heard of. A part of him hoped it would be the latter, but either way, it would take some getting used to, at worst a couple weeks of suffocating awkwardness. Or a never-ending one if they chose the right (or wrong) person.

Eren’s smile eased away, lip pursing with eyes staring hard at the stone floor as he pulled on his boots.

"Now you’re the one who looks nervous," said Levi, and Eren twisted his head to him.

"Eh?"

"I said you look nervous." For as annoyed as that sentence came out, there was some hint of concern with it.

Again, Eren’s attention drifted away.

"Maybe," he admitted, hesitating. "A little."

The other remained silent, looking to him with hooded eyes. A few seconds more and he spoke up again.

"Oi! Where the hell did you put that cloth?"

"Hm?"

"The one I put around my neck," he explained, pointing.

"Oh. Let me get that." Always the obedient puppy, Eren. Levi could practically see the kid’s ears perk up at the chance to go fetch something. Levi watched him move, eyeing him as if still in thought, the same thought that made him speak up in the first place.

"Here," Eren muttered, already beginning to tie the cravat in place. He waited for the other to stand up straight for him, then continued.

"Eren," Levi called again, though Eren’s eyes remained on his hands.

"Yes?"

It was a few seconds before Levi said anything, long enough for Eren to wonder if he had given up on it, or deemed it not worth his breath. He was wrong.

"Relax." Eren’s eyes flitted up, and a matured, stony gaze looked back. "I’ll get these things working right and be back to looking over your ass again in no time. So don’t get all constipated over a temporary babysitter."

The promise had Eren a bit stunned. What the Captain said was characteristic enough—even the crude joke—but, something in his voice sounded different. It sounded like something he really shouldn’t get his hopes up for.

Regardless of intent, Levi’s statement left the boy smiling. His expression eased, eyelids drooping and grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. He gave a nod, a short sign of acknowledgement and agreement. Gaze down he resumed where he’d left off on that cravat.

"You’ll have to start working extra hard then. You haven’t made much progress in the last month. It’s like your still a baby learning to walk."

"You making fun of me now, brat?"

Eren laughed. “A little.” It was a stupid idea getting cocky around the Captain but, it felt nice teasing him a little. At least it gave Levi some incentive to prove him wrong.

Levi’s scowl didn’t fade. He clicked his tongue, attention turning away as he made some harsh remark on Eren’s apparent death-wish and all the boy could do was smile still.

"Captain."

"What?"

Levi turned to him just as he wanted and Eren took his chance.

He pulled the Captain closer, forefingers and thumbs clinging to the finished ascot’s hanging edge, and pressed his lips to the clear patch of skin on Levi’s forehead.

"Good luck," he said.

Of course, the Captain wasn’t phased the way Eren would have liked. He looked more annoyed than before. That’s what Eren believed, but Levi had a way of making him wonder.

"Eren." The boy blinked, and Levi took Eren’s shirt by the front to pull him down for a much better kiss than before, simple as it was, but leaving his stomach fluttering and lips tasting sweet.

"You too."


End file.
